The effects of individual differences and task difficulty on inattentional blindness
Simons and Jensen note that most earlier work used a single critical trial. In Experiment 1 a staircase procedure equalised primary-task performance across participants in a dynamic task, and task demands still affected noticing. In Experiment 2, individual differences in primary-task performance did not predict noticing. The authors conclude that task difficulty affects inattentional blindness but individual differences in the ability to meet those demands do not.
Simons and Jensen note that most earlier work used a single critical trial. In Experiment 1 a staircase procedure equalised primary-task performance across participants in a dynamic task, and task demands still affected noticing. In Experiment 2, individual differences in primary-task performance did not predict noticing. The authors conclude that task difficulty affects inattentional blindness but individual differences in the ability to meet those demands do not.
Written from the abstract, Springer record, 2026-10-31.
What our sources record
Recorded when this source was checked, figures included, with page references and quotation marks removed.
Simons, D. J., & Jensen, M. S. (2009). The effects of individual differences and task difficulty on inattentional blindness. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 16(2), 398-403. doi:10.3758/PBR.16.2.398.